35: On the Temporal Proposition
35: On the Temporal Proposition A temporal proposition is one which is composed of two or more categoricals joined by some adverb of time. For example, this is a temporal proposition: 'Socrates is running while Plato is debating'. And so are these: 'Socrates was white when Plato was black' and 'Socrates was white when Plato was not running'.
Now for the truth of a temporal proposition it is required that both parts be true for the same time or for different times. Thus, there are some adverbs which convey that the propositions which they join are true for the same time, and others which convey that they are true for different times. Hence, for the truth of 'God acts when a creature acts' it is required that both of the parts be true and at the same time. Similarly, for the truth of 'The apostles were preaching while Christ preached' it is required that both parts be true and that they were true at the same time, if they were formed. But for the truth of 'Paul was converted after Christ had suffered' it is required that the propositions were true for different times. Likewise, for the truth of 'Christ preached before he suffered' it is required that both parts were true for different times.
Still, it should be noted that in order for a temporal proposition to be true, it is not required that the parts were never true for the same time or that they were never true for different times.
Rather, it is required that they were sometime true for the same time or for different times. Hence, the following two propositions are compatible: 'The apostles preached while Christ preached' and 'The apostles preached after Christ preached'.
Likewise, in order for a temporal proposition to be necessary it is required that each part be necessary. Hence, no proposition such as the following is necessary: 'Wood becomes warm when fire is brought near it', 'A creature is created when God creates',
'A donkey is risible when it is a man'. Now if such propositions are found in some author and he asserts that they are necessary, then they should be glossed. For the author is not speaking literally. Rather, he is taking a temporal proposition as a conditional,